That Chinese ‘Grenade’ Video…

Lots of buzz on the internet recently about this video from Chinese state television purporting to show Chinese soldiers passing live explosives around as “an exercise that sharpens co-ordination, teamwork and mental strength.” I think this is wrong – one, the smoke, explosives tend not to do that any more, unless a slow fuse is involved; second, the final guy throws the satchel at his feet and not into the bunker. It seems to me that this is a public demonstration, an open day at a base perhaps, and the satchel is a dud, but the explosives in the crater are very real. This makes it considerably less dangerous (but not with risk), but also a long way from the way it is being reported by the English language media.

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A former contributor to World Intelligence (Japan Military Review), James Simpson joined Japan Security Watch in 2011, migrating with his blog Defending Japan. He has a Masters in Security Studies from Aberystwyth University and is currently living in Kawasaki, Japan.
His primary interests include the so-called 'normalization' of Japanese security (i.e. militarization), and the political impact of the abduction issue with North Korea.
James Simpson has 9 post(s) on Asia Security Watch